D.O.L: Light Running, Part 1, which has recently been renamed Light Running in Parris Island, follows a fiery, sharp-tongued woman who becomes entangled in government secrets and paramilitary organizations while battling her own haunted past. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The entire saga started from a drawing I did in art school in 2005 and a horrible experience I had during a short story class I took in 2009. When I turned in my final assignment for that class I will admit I was full of myself. I thought my final draft was God’s gift to man. My classmates were less than enthused and humbled me with their criticism:
‘I didn’t like it.’
‘Writing isn’t your thing.’
‘I thought the plot was too generic.’
This devastated me, and I didn’t touch the story for another three years. Between 2012 and 2020 I tried to rework the narrative but never got very far into the storyline. Then Covid struck and, like many, I found myself with an abundance of free time. In seven months I completed the first book. After a two-year editing process I submitted my book for review. I’m proud to say that, so far, I have not received less than a five star review.

There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?

The short answer is ‘realism’. My characters are alive and real in my head. I can see them move about in the real world. Furthermore, I am able to hear the inflections in their voices and even accompany certain scenes with background music. It is my job – my purpose – to make sure that my characters live just as vibrantly in your mind.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The primary theme of the book was Lilly’s first mission as an ARMOR agent. An unknown adversary has infiltrated Parris Island, forcing Lilly to rely on someone with less experience than herself. In the previous books most of the heavy lifting had been done by side characters like Joe or Andrew. This was Lilly’s maiden voyage and I wanted to keep the reader guessing as to whether she would sink or swim.
Supporting themes include: Sisterhood in the military; reunion and loss and unexpected betrayal.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

The next book is already out on Amazon, and it is called D.O.L: Light Running In Afghanistan. I’ll give you three guesses where Lilly is going, but you’ll only need one.

In this installment, Lilly must embark on her second mission with little-to-no recovery time from the first. Things escalate when her transport plane is shot down behind enemy lines. Light Running In Afghanistan gives an intriguing alternative story to the book/movie ‘Lone Survivor’. However, in this version, Lilly ends up being the lone survivor and she encounters a village that houses a centuries-old secret. The story will keep you guessing and your questions will be answered but, of course, more questions will arise.

I see this entire series seamlessly spanning a multitude of literary genres. The major themes for the entire saga are already completed in my head; it’s the fine points that need further development. With that in mind, I won’t reveal too much about where things are going. After all, the entire series is one gigantic mystery. And the title: D.O.L is classified. The name of the game is escalation and fun and I intend to deliver on both.